Obligation Turned Habit
by FlashDriver
Summary: I've never really written a solo Sonamy story and wanted to give it a shot! This is a little something written for White Day, a holiday where individuals return the favour of gifts given on valentines. I thought Sonic and Amy might have a sort of unspoken tradition for that day; seeing as he isn't the best at expressing romantic feelings. I hope you enjoy!


White Day Sonamy

Though the sweat on his brow was undeniable, Sonic was keeping his cool. The blue hedgehog ran with a spring in his step, a plan in his head and a white package in his right hand. It was White Day, the day to show appreciation for Valentine's gifts, and, of course, Amy had made him chocolate this year, just as she had every year prior. It was only right that he return the gesture, wasn't it? He was practically obligated to and so, he would. It'd be easy, simple, just as it'd been every prior year. Knock at her door, pass her the present, and run free. No sweat, it'd go just like every other year. He'd rush away just in time to hear his name, throw back a smirking glance and catch sight of her overjoyed face. As he ran last year's expression drifted to the forefront of his mind; her wide smile as she hugged that paper wrapped box, the blush beneath her cheeks.

Somehow, she wore a similar look every year, despite how predictable it was and how bland his gifts tasted. Despite how much her chocolatiering had improved he was certain today's sweets were as tasteless as his first ever batch. Well, maybe a little better, but it wasn't nearly as significant as her growth. He could still recall her first gift, a small red bag filled to the brim with chipped and shattered heart-shaped chocolate. He'd had to eat them in front of her, just to prevent the waterworks. They hadn't even been bad, just a little misshapen, but it was impossible to compare them to this year's candies. White, milk and dark chocolate mouse housed within pink, red and blue chocolate shells, almost too much to eat.

He skidded to a halt, having very almost shot past her house. She'd moved out of Station Square toward the end of last year, claiming she missed having a proper garden, and moved into a small bungalow, much closer to the Vanilla's household. Flowerbeds edged the house's walls, their buds just starting to bloom, and an oak tree stood in the centre of the lawn. Last he saw it, the tree had been little more than a husk, yet now (in early spring no less) leaves were growing strong. If Amy was one thing it was dedicated, he knew that better than anyone. As Sonic approached the front door he gave a glance to the kitchen window. The curtains were closed, good. She wouldn't see his approach, wouldn't get the drop on him, the plan would work as it had every prior year. Footfalls slowed as the wooden door grew nearer, fingers strummed against the parcel.

It was simple, it'd be easy. Knock the door, hand it off and get out of there; throwing back a smirk. Maybe he'd call out 'Happy White Day Ames' as he passed it, yeah that'd be cool. Alright, yeah, piece of cake. No sweat. Well, for something meant to be no sweat he sure was sweating a lot, but still! He'd done this so many times, it'd be easy. It'd be easy.

Catching himself before he could walk into the door, Sonic rapped out a quick knock. A moment past, at least he thought it did? Truth be told he couldn't tell if time was going slower or faster. His foot started to tap, fingers still tapping as he scanned the entryway for something to do. House number 12, but there weren't any others around, how strange. Welcome mat was the same as he remembered, 'Welcome' with a heart as the 'o'…There was a letterbox on her door, was he desperate enough to call through it alre-

Ah! She had a doorbell, that's why this was taking so long. Maybe her room was far from the front door, with the curtains closed she clearly wasn't in the kitchen; must've already had Lunch. Yes that made sense! He gave it a brief press, no more than a couple of seconds, and retook his position; box extended and body half turned to run.

But another moment past, at least… it felt like it had. Having no watch he cast a glance to the sky, no way was it earlier than eleven; it must've been close to noon. There was no way she was asleep, was she out? Though he swore he'd heard the doorbell ring he pressed it again, ear touched to the door. Sure enough, the ringing echoed inside… there was no sound of movement. Sighing both out of boredom and at himself, he pushed open the post box and peeked inside; only darkness lay beyond its slit.

Despite that he called out, just to be especially sure, "Ames, three guess who?"

No sign of life, not a light or a sound or a movement. The blue blur rubbed his chin, there was no sign of her inside but… she knew he was coming, didn't she? Last year had gone off without a hitch, so had the ones before it, this was really strange. Was she sick? No way, unless it happened overnight he'd surely have heard about it…

But what if it had happened overnight?

Sonic shook the thought from his head, trying to dismiss it. Maybe she was out gardening, Yeah, she'd done so much work on the front already; that had to be it.

He didn't hesitate, speeding around the side and vaulting her small fence, "Amy, are you back here?"

Again there was no response, as he rounded the corner there was no pink hedgehog. On this side of the house too, the curtains were closed. There was no sign of her, not even in the greenhouse. He bit his tongue, catching himself before he could call out again, and approached the backdoor; knocking on its frosted glass. Again, there was no response. Feet dragged as he made his way back, face to face with the front door once again. While the letterbox was around the right length it was way too thin for his gift. He doubled back to check the front window, the curtains were still drawn shut. Eyes dropped to the doorstep, the space beside her welcome mat.

Could he just leave it?

It was easy; he'd just set down the box and head off. Sure, the package wasn't marked but it'd be obvious it was his; it wasn't like there were any other gifts on her doorstep. It'd suck not to see her but he probably would soon, she might even get huffy and come find him. Maybe demand he make up for missing her, try to drag him to twinkle park or the movies or out for dinner or… something. Yeah, he'd see her again soon; there was no way he wouldn't. Amy wouldn't let him go a week without seeing her, he hadn't seen her since what… Saturday? Yeah, she'd show up…

Those thoughts kept circling in his head, when Sonic finally came to his senses he had no idea how long had passed.

The hedgehog managed to set the box down. He'd propped it up against her door, that way she couldn't miss it, and was finally turning away when a new thought snuck into his brain. If the present was left unattended then there was a chance, a very slim chance, that someone might decide to steal it. Sonic internally rolled his eyes, telling himself that couldn't be helped, but he wouldn't make it far from her house. He hesitated in the shade of her old oak tree, not a comfortable spot in sight but…

Well, resting in a tree bet waiting on a doorstep any day of the week. He could relax properly, out of Amy's sight but more than capable of stopping someone else stealing her gift. He'd even get to see her collect the present, even if the angle wasn't great he'd get to see her rush toward it. It was a perfect plan!

A running start, a solid hop and he was among the branches. It took some scrambling, trying his best not to injure the tree, but eventually, he found an… ok position? This tree was far less comfortable than he thought it'd be. The bark was rough, sticks were poking into his spines and while the leaves were new they were clearly poorly attached. Leaning into the discomfort, Sonic looked to the sky. Nothing to do but wait, no company but his thoughts…

Why was he doing this, why did he care so much? He should have just left the box and ran, they were in the middle of nowhere. No one was going to steal it; nobody even knew it was there. Even if they somehow did, it wasn't like that was his fault. If he really wanted to protect it he could hide it around the back, put the gift in her greenhouse or somewhere among the flowers. So why hadn't he? Why was he halfway up this tree, branches scraping through his fur, when he could be running free?

His foot began to twitch, fingers rapped against his cheek. The clouds were barely moving, no they weren't moving at all. This was taking way too long, where was she? Could she actually be sick, or was boredom just playing with his imagination? Try as he might Sonic the idea wouldn't leave his head, her head thrown back against the pillow and a compress atop her head. Unable to move as his voice sounded through the letterbox, sadness in her ey-

He shook his head, trying to replace the thought with literally anything else. What would Knuckles be up to right now? Probably stuck on his rock, unless he'd worked up the guts to give Rouge his gift. He always got so flustered about it, could never keep up his cool, he'd mull around for hours and hours until eventually, she'd show up to steal the emerald or (in recent years) questioning where her gift was. Sonic always had the sneaking suspicion Knux enjoyed that wait, a little taunting had practically proved it; the redder he got the louder he'd shout. How could he get so embarrassed over something so simple? It took Sonic a couple of lines to push Knuckles to the limit yet all it took Rouge was a little smile, maybe a small chide at most.

Sonic's eyes returned to the doorway, landing upon his parcel. It was exactly where he'd left it, the same exact position. Right. Brilliant. Perfect. How long had it been? Five minutes? Ten minutes? An hour? If he'd overshot it she might be out for lunch, maybe shopping. That could take ages. His vision kept flickering between the incredibly still clouds and the entryway, every shift rustling the leaves more. He knew he could leave, hop down from the tree and speed off, but for some reason his body flat out refused. As if not being here was, somehow, worse than the boredom he was feeling. Why was that the case? How could it be? These questions were annoying him way too much! Why was time going so slow?! Palms came up to his forehead, his eyes tightly shut.

But wait, leaving it wasn't the only option. Well, it was but he didn't have to leave the gift. If he was so worried about the gift reaching Amy then he had two other options, he could go out and try to find Amy (she'd probably like that) or he could simply come back later. Well, there was a third option. He could go looking for her and, if he couldn't find her, come back later…

That was a lot of effort but at least he'd be running free, Sonic dropped from his branch. This was so much harder than last year and he had no idea why. Her absence had fully disrupted his rhythm, put him in a position and mindset. Even going to lift the package, Sonic felt a bizarre sense of staleness. He was doing this to overcome his boredom, wasn't he? It felt weird to be holding it again, not wrong but… strange. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. Some weird mix of anticipation yet, almost, lingering disappointment.

Groaning, he slouched against her door. Eyes dropped to the paper, his fingers drummed against the package. This was so stupid, he wasn't meant to be like this. He was meant to be cool, a wink and a smile and he'd run off to who knows where next. That was how this worked, that was how it always worked and that was how it was going to work. Why did his feet feel heavy, he'd decided he was coming back later; why was it so hard to lea-

"Sonic?" Two sets of green eyes finally collided.

Oh, so this was why he'd stayed. The surprise in her eyes and the smile on her face, watching her look not only to the gift but to him with such clear joy. As he stared time went from frozen to matching his speed. He felt the wind on his face and the flutter of his heart, it was as though he was running. Even if he wanted to run he couldn't, his back was against the door.

His vision was quickly turned to the sky. Sonic he brushed through his quills with his free hand, taking a step forward and holding out the gift. "Hey, Ames. Happy White Da-

Before he could finish she'd pushed past his gift, she felt her arms wrap around his back and, suddenly, his feet weren't touching the ground anymore. "Sonic! You waited for me?"

"I… yeah." Feeling himself grow redder and redder he lacked the will to argue, it'd be strange to try to shoot past her now. Besides, it was technically true. "Wh-Where were you? I feel like I've been waiting for hours." If he hadn't been working so hard to maintain his smirk he'd have screamed at himself for stuttering. In her grasp, he couldn't even wipe the sweat from his brow.

The hold softened, his feet reunited with the ground, but her head lingered upon his shoulder, "I was babysitting Cream, Vanilla had a brunch date with Vector and she asked me to step in. To have been here hours, you must have arrived just as I left." He could hear the joy in her voice, though obscured from view her smile lingered in his mind's eye. "I'm surprised you stayed."

"Well, I just," He fumbled a little, finally wrapping his arms around her, "I wanted to see your face when you got it, no point in showing up if you're a no show." Upon realising what he'd said the hedgehog started to stammer, "I mean, you tracked me down to hand off yours in person so it's only right I… well, I mean, it just wouldn't be cool if I didn't. I've seen that face for what, e-eight years in a row? Be weird if I didn't this time. Yeah, just wouldn't sit right, you know? I just had to see your smile again."

His motor mouth hadn't improved the situation, as he'd spluttered his way through an explanation she'd pulled back and was now, undoubtedly, staring up at him. He didn't know for certain of course as he'd turned his eyes back to the clouds, avoiding the very face he said he'd longed to look at. Wait, no, he hadn't said he'd that! Why was he thinking it, what was he even thin-

"Really? You mean that? Oh, Sonic!" Oh no, she was getting louder. In his mind, her smile only grew as her grip tightened again, "I knew, deep down, you were a romantic!"

He'd often shrugged off Amy's hugs, telling himself they were much too cramped and restrictive, but there was something… bizarrely exhilarating about this. His foot wasn't tapping, his brow wasn't furrowed and that world hadn't frozen. Clouds still moved in the sky, he could feel the gentle wind on his face. Even though he was stuck still he wasn't bored. His heart was beating fast so fast, he couldn't understand it. He could only compare it to a runner's high, that feeling of excitement and elation as he pushed himself to the limit. Why was he feeling that now? It was just a hug, he was giving her a gift just like he had the past eight years, why now?!

Sonic's train of thought derailed as he felt a hand pass through his quills. Surprised, his gaze finally dropped and he came face to face with her smile. Short pink quills shifted slightly ajar by their prior embrace, bright emerald orbs looking just past him and the dusting of pink that lingered on her cheeks. Why was his heart beating like this? He hadn't been running, he'd been standing still! He'd taken one look and now he couldn't pull his eyes from her, every second feeling himself grow more and more embarrassed. Finally, she removed her hand from his quills, a collection of sticks and leaves between her fingers. The embrace had finally ended… yet this feeling remained.

"What's all this?" Had she seen him, was she teasing him? Despite his eyes being locked upon her face, Sonic couldn't tell. Why was his face so hot, why did his hands feel sweaty? How was he going to answer?

His jaw slacked, "Well, you know, always on the move. Didn't even notice. Must've jumped through a tree or a bush or something."

She cast the plant matter before reaching up, pulling another twig from behind his ear. "And there's even more where that came from, you-

"I-I think I can handle it, Ames," Before she could reach up Sonic managed to pull himself back to his full height, he hadn't notice himself leaning in. He made another, awful, attempt to change the conversation. "When you didn't answer I thought you might've been sick, usually you know where and when I'm gonna show up."

"Aww," She cooed, "Were you worried about me?" Alright, now she was absolutely teasing him. "Well don't you worry, next time I have a sniffle I'll be sure to call you up."

He searched for a quip, some witty rebut, yet nothing was coming to him. Sonic stopped his free hand from returning to his quills, lest he flustered himself further. "I've already played chocolatier for you, doctor can't be that much worse, can it?" Of his thoughts, it'd been the best but it was still incredibly bad. Sure, he'd look after her if she was sick but that was beside the point. The present was pushed further forwards, with each flare of embarrassment it felt heavier in his hands. "Here, proof of the former."

Without hesitation she'd reached out to take the box but, as fingers contacted paper, a realisation seemed to strike her. Fingertips brushed the surface but thumb didn't connect to grasp. Mischief had faded from Amy's eyes; she was trying to maintain her smile, "Sonic, are you going to run when I take this?"

His heart skipped a beat, sweat further gathering on his forehead. The thought hadn't crossed his mind, not even for a second. Why hadn't it? Only that he couldn't run. That'd been a lie though, if he'd really wanted to then he absolutely could have. He looked to the box for a moment, feeling the wrapping paper beneath his gloves, before turning back to the sky.

"W-Who, me? Run away? Th-That doesn't sound like me, does it?" He'd attempted to play it off, releasing a small chuckle, but her face hadn't left his mind's eye. If he left it at that she'd pout, but how would that smile change if he left now? Did he want that smile to stay? "Well," Was he really about to say this? His hand returned to his quills, leaves and sticks filled his palm. "I guess I can hang out for a while?"

The hedgehog's sneakers were torn from the ground again; she'd swept him up in an instant and now held him in an embrace twice as tight as the prior. It wouldn't last nearly as long though, almost as soon as it started she'd unleashed him and stumbled a few steps backwards.

"I-I…" Amy finally brushed back that stray quill, "Sorry, I just… force of habit, I guess." Now it was her turn to avoid his gaze, hands clasped before herself. "I thought today would be like all those other White Days. You'd show up, hand over your gift, and vanish just as fast. Of course, I had hopes but... I didn't think you'd stay today."

Part of him wanted to say 'me neither,' but the words didn't slip past his lips. That'd be uncool; he had to say something better. He had to say something cool, there had to be some way to play off this embarrassment! But she was already looking up at him again; he had to say something fast!

"Well, get used to it!" No, no that was way worse! What had he done? The shock in her eyes, even if the smile on her face lingered, he had to explain himself. "I-I mean, next time I might be up for sticking around too. If it matters that much to you?" He'd rectified it sure, but not enough for his liking. Next time, he hadn't even said next year; he'd said next time. What did he mean? Was next time going to be sooner than that? Did he want it to come sooner than that? Was that what he meant?

He heard her gasp, those emerald eyes were sparkling again while a brilliant scarlet overtook her cheeks. She was practically bouncing with joy; his heart picked up the pace again. "Yes, yes, yes! I'd love that! " She'd finally taken the box from him, hugging it close to her chest, but he'd been too fixated on her smile to notice. Box elbowed to her chest she fumbled for her keys, quickly unlocking the door. "You must be hungry, waiting out there so long. You'll have to stay for lunch at least!"

"S-Sure, Ames."

He lingered at the hearth for a moment but, following a glance from the pink hedgehog, he quickly entered. Following after her for once, rather than running ahead.


End file.
